


Actually, No

by allhailgrilledcheesus



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Desk Sex, GTA V AU, Hispanic!Jack, Jack tries to get it on, M/M, Meeting for the first time, Random Dead Guy!, Rhys is having none of it, Sober!Rhys, Swearing, Torture, What am I doing?, drunk!everyone, the exclamation mark is needed i swear...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:03:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7158773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhailgrilledcheesus/pseuds/allhailgrilledcheesus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys has volunteered to be designated driver whilst Vaughn and Yvette party the night away. Jack is too drunk to get home on his own so Rhys offers to let him crash at his place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cheap Alcohol Makes People Do Silly Things

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! This was super fun to write! Many thanks to Chloe (@loki-dokey), Erin (@erinchu) and Coré (@shippingismypersonalhell) for getting me through this!!!

Rhys felt like an idiot once again. He was sitting there at the bar in a pub, playing with the ice in his drink as he watched his friends drunkenly try to fight with the jukebox in the corner. Yvette wanted to have something to dance to. Vaughn wanted something to sing to. Rhys sighed and stared into his very non-alcoholic drink. He had agreed to be the designated driver that night after what happened last time. He shuddered as he remembered vodka being poured into his belly button as he insisted that the cute blond from the other side of the bar took a body shot from him. _Never again_ , he thought to himself. 

Finally a song started to fill the bar, accompanied by a loud whooping from Vaughn and Yvette as they made their way to the small dance floor the establishment seemed to have. Rhys gave them a small wave as Vaughn tried to mime lassoing him in an attempt to get him dancing. Rhys shook his head and wondered how he had managed to get such _nerdy_ friends. On the one han, he regretted his decision to stay sober this night out. On the other, he knew he could be very _delicate_ the morning after a night out. He didn’t really fancy doing that and seeing as Vaughn drove last time, this seemed like the least he could do. 

Rhys bobbed his head to the music, his thoughts drifting back to college and the parties that he went to there. Being weirdly good at beer pong had helped him so much back then but now it was more of a redundant skill. Rhys was aware of someone leaning next to him, trying to get to the bar over his stool, but he didn’t really care. He was too busy reminiscing. 

“Listen up, cupcake!” 

Rhys snapped out of his introspection to see the guy who was leaning on the bar next to him terrifyingly close to his face. Rhys nearly fell off the stool as he tried to put distance between the stranger’s face and his. “Wha-?” 

Before Rhys could finish, the stranger spoke again, “I _asked_ you what’re you drinking, sweetcheeks?” 

“I’m the designated driver, so I’m not.” 

“Oh _pffffffffft_ ,” the stranger made a dismissive gesture, “you can have _one_ drink. Anything in moderation is OK!” 

“Sadly, the police aren’t too fond of that rule. You seem like you’re-” 

The stranger suddenly held his hand out to stop Rhys from talking and placed a hand on his own mouth. Rhys thought he was gonna throw up and made to stand up. The stranger composed himself and started laughing. 

“Oh I really got ya there didn’t I, cupcake?” Rhys crossed his arms and tried to look annoyed but truthfully, the stranger was kinda funny. It made it harder for Rhys to be mad. 

“Now, what does one call a leggy brunet like yourself?” The stranger was leaning on the bar, swaying slightly with the question.  
“Rhys.” The young man kicked himself for telling the stranger his actual name. 

“Well _Rhysie_ , name’s horny and I’m Jack. Wait…” Rhys saw the cogs turning in Jack’s head before the man burst into laughter at his own Freudian slip. 

Rhys couldn’t help but crack a smile at the man who was still swaying slightly despite the death grip he had on the bar. The bartender still refused to come up to the pair, obviously seeing that _someone_ was too drunk to keep drinking. Rhys took it upon himself to try and get the other guy a cab or something. 

Rhys looked around to locate his friends to find them no longer dancing, but doubled over and laughing at something that probably wasn’t as funny as the pair was making it out to be. This, Rhys knew, was a clear sign that the night was over and he needed to get them home ASAP. 

Rhys turned back to Jack (that was his name, right?) and waved his hand in front of the man’s face to get his attention. Jack snapped out of the drunken stare he was doing and looked at Rhys, a smirk starting to form on his lips. “I’m gonna call you a cab, alright? Where do I need to order it for?” 

“Rhysie! Rhysssiiiieeeeeeeeeeee… You can’t get me a _cab_ , no self-respecting cab driver would let this drunk asshole in their car!” Jack took both of his hands off the bar at that point to gesture at himself and nearly fell over in the process. Rhys thankfully managed to catch him before he could actually hurt himself or the people around him. Unfortunately, Jack was right. Rhys had been in less of a state than the man in front of him and had been refused by cabs. 

Rhys ran his hand across his face and resigned to the hand that fate had dealt him. He grabbed Jack and took the man’s weight across his shoulders. The pair shuffled their way over to Rhys’s still giggling friends to try and bundle them out of the bar. 

“Yvette, Vaughn, we got a new friend who’s gonna come home with us.” Jack looked up and gave a drunken two-fingered salute at the pair. 

Vaughn and Yvette immediately stopped giggling and tried to look composed as their friend stood before them. Leaning on each other, the pair somehow managed to stay upright and not fall into a fit of giggles despite the smirks that kept forming on their faces. 

“A _friend_ you say, hmm?” Vaughn poked a finger at Rhys. 

“Yes Vaughn, just someone who needs help. Now get in the car. It’s late and I am not looking forward to you two being hungover.” 

The pair huffed and started to complain but Rhys raised an eyebrow and the two drunks settled down and joined arm-in-arm to leave the bar and make their stumbling way to the car. Rhys smiled fondly as they skipped out of the door and gave a small wave to the bartender as he lugged Jack with him.  
Rhys unlocked the car in advance and his two friends barreled into the back and fought for the middle seat. Rhys shook his head and shoved Jack into the back, settling the dispute by leaving Vaughn in the middle. The accountant was still celebrating his victory when Rhys slid into the driver’s seat and started the car. The radio spray to life and so did the almost passed out Jack. 

“Holy shit this _song_!” Jack started to sing very loudly. Too loudly for this late at night. Vaughn and Yvette spared no time in joining in, attempting and very much failing at a three part harmony with Vaughn try his best at a falsetto. Rhys shook his head but couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. 

It was, thankfully, a short journey to Rhys and Vaughn’s shared apartment and it seemed as if Jack was staying, looking at the state of him. 

Rhys opened the door of his car and the three drunk people fell out and giggled as they lay on the floor. Rhys sighed and grabbed Jack by the hand and placed an arm over his shoulders to support the older man. Yvette and Vaughn had managed to stand up and joined in with Rhys supporting Jack on one side, Vaughn on the other, and Vaughn holding up Yvette. 

Getting everyone up the stairs was, _interesting_ to say the least. For some reason, Yvette thought that the railing was her best friend and refused to let go for a solid couple of minutes. After Rhys had finally convinced her that they could order pizza if she moved, the whole squad managed to get into the apartment. 

Vaughn and Yvette went for the sofa and immediately fell asleep. _The joys of being drunk_ , Rhys thought to himself. Jack, on the other hand, had other ideas. 

The older man pushed Rhys against the door as soon as it was closed, not caring if the other two were watching or not. 

“J-Jack!” Rhys flushed at the sudden display of dominance. 

Jack moved his face to Rhys’s ear and whispered, “Don’t worry kiddo, Daddy’s gonna take care of you…” Rhys felt his dick twitch and almost succumbed to the older man’s advances. However, his sense of decency held out for a moment longer. 

“You’re too drunk for this.” Rhys said matter-of-factly. Jack let out a short exhale of breath and smirked, “Well, yeah kiddo. Why do you think I talked you into taking me home. You’re cute and I’m drunk so let’s get this on!”

Jack ghosted his mouth across Rhys’s, just out of reach, and Rhys arched his back involuntarily to try and make contact. Rhys cursed himself mentally. Jack smirked and lowered his head just enough for a chaste kiss. Rhys whined when the other man pulled away again and took some action of his own; pulling Jack’s collar so that their lips could meet properly. Rhys knew what he was doing was wrong, but damn the guy was hot and willing so sue him. 

Jack pulled away and Rhys tried to follow but Jack lewdly ground his hips against the younger man, causing a soft moan to fall from his lips. Rhys looked into Jack’s eyes for the first time that night and saw that, like him, they were heterochromatic but with green and blue instead of brown and blue. However, now, the pupils were dilated with lust. Rhys grabbed Jack’s hand and lead him to his bedroom. Jack followed behind and hit the door frame with his arm as he walked in. Being drunk meant that he didn’t really care, though.

Jack shut the door behind him and took Rhys’s face into his hands. Rhys tried to look demure but the tent in his trousers was telling a very different story. Jack went in for a kiss and arched his body against Rhys’s. Rhys pulled Jack’s body flush to his and groped Jack’s ass to which he earnt a loud moan against his mouth. Jack walked forwards, mouth never leaving Rhys’s, and pushed them both onto the bed. Jack started trailing kisses down Rhys’s jaw. Rhys lifted his head to allow Jack access to his neck when suddenly everything _stopped_. 

Rhys looked down to see that Jack had passed out on top of him. Rhys’s legs were starting to go numb because the circulation was cut off from his legs still dangling off the end of the bed. Jack was now snoring lightly against Rhys’s neck so he didn’t really have the heart to move him. 

_Oh boy_ , Rhys thought to himself, _this is gonna take a lot of explaining tomorrow_.

* * *

At some point during the night, Jack had crawled his way up the bed and was now drooling into Rhys’s _nice_ pillowcases. Rhys looked down at the man and really got to study him for the first time, drool and all. Jack had a very nasty scar bisecting his face but it seemed to add to his uniqueness. Rhys already knew that Jack also had heterochromia, it was kind of hard to miss, but the scar somehow went unnoticed. Jack had an amazing jawline and an amazing body to match. Rhys smiled to himself, knowing that something nearly happened was enough to keep him content for the time being. Rhys dropped off the glass of water and aspirin next to the note he left on the bedside table. The note explained who Rhys was, where he was, and that breakfast was on the way if he wanted it. 

With one last look, Rhys walked out of the room and made his way into the kitchen. The apartment he shared with Vaughn had an open plan feel to it which was nice for such a cheap place. Therefore, his preparation of breakfast stirred his two friends who were crashed on the couch. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted throughout the place as Rhys started cooking them. However bad his cooking skills actually were, it was still incredibly hard to fail at making eggs and bacon. 

A groan from the couch let Rhys know that someone was at least slightly awake and in search of sustenance. Rhys giggled to himself and placed two glasses each with aspirin next to it on the breakfast bar. Vaughn was the first to arrive and slump onto a stall to sit at the bar. Vaughn took the painkillers and downed the water in one go before resting his head on the counter and groaning again. 

“Never again?” Rhys joked. He got yet another groan in reply. Rhys placed the first plate of food in front of his best friend and picked up Vaughns hand to place a fork into it. Vaughn sat up enough to start eating and grunted an approval around the food in his mouth. 

Rhys plated up dish number two and left it on the small coffee table in front of their sofa in a hope that Yvette would wake up to the smell of food. It seemed like the plan worked as her head popped up above the sofa and eating sounds made their way to his ears. 

Like a whirlwind on speed, Jack appeared from the bedroom, seemingly unaffected by the sheer amount of alcohol that he had consumed the night before. The man stopped in the front room to see three pairs of eyes staring at him, mouths agape. Jack attempted to regain some composure but failed considering how crumpled his clothing was. 

“Who was the cute one with the long legs I was talking to last night?” After no response from the three people Jack just raised an eyebrow, placed one hand on his hip and waved the other, silently demanding an answer. Vaughn and Yvette simply pointed over at Rhys who was standing with a spatula in hand. 

“Why, thank you. Wasn’t so hard was it?” Jack strode over to where Rhys was standing, gave him the piece of paper back that Rhys had written a note on. “Sadly sweetcheeks, I gotta say no to the breakfast. I’m a busy man, see, but I do wanna leave ya with something. Got your phone?” 

Rhys, still dumbstruck at how unaffected Jack was, simply gestured to his phone on the counter which was charging. Jack picked it up, unlocked it whilst complaining that Rhys didn’t have a passcode and that it was essential to have that sort of thing these days, and entered something on the phone. With that, Jack turned on his heel and left the apartment. 

“What the _fuck_ dude?” Vaughn spoke after a short time of stunned silence. 

“What do you mean what the fuck? He was too drunk to get home on his own! You know how i am with waifs and strays.” Rhys turned back to making his own breakfast, slightly sad at the fact Jack hadn’t stayed for breakfast. 

“Handsome Jack…” Yvette piped up.

“That's certainly how I'd describe him. Did you see his jawline? Like, _damn_ that thing could cut-” 

Rhys was interrupted by Vaughn thrusting his phone in his face. It was an image of the front cover of TIME magazine with the very man who had just strode out the apartment plastered on the front. The caption was: _First Hyperion, now the world: How did Handsome Jack do it?_

“Holy shit…” Rhys turned away from Vaughn’s phone and went over to his own. Jack, wait no, _Handsome Jack_ had left his phone off of charge but unlocked on a contact screen. Rhys had Handsome Jack’s mobile number on his phone. Handsome Jack had _saved_ his number to Rhys’s phone as _HJ_ with some rather obscene emojis after it. Rhys just laughed at his phone, ignoring the fact that his bacon was burning and wondered what the hell he’d gotten himself into by being nice to a famous stranger in a bar.


	2. Starbucks Makes Ridiculous Drinks For Ridiculous People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys is trying his best to not look thirsty. Jack isn't really having it. Suppose it's something to do with having everything you've ever wanted on a whim?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is so much fun to write... like seriously so much fun! All your comments and kudos make it so much better!!!

Rhys was trying his hardest not to look desperate. Every fibre of his being was screaming for him to text Jack the same day that he had gotten his number. But it was _so hard_. Somehow, Rhys had managed to attract the attention of not only someone on the Forbes billionaires list, but also someone who was named the most desirable bachelor of the east coast by several gossip columns. This was officially the strangest thing to ever happen to the young man, and college had been _weird_.

After a serious Google session, Rhys determined that you should wait around two to three days before sending a text. However, the next issue was the content of the text. What if he came over as _really_ thirsty? Because, if Rhys was being honest with himself, it had been a long time. He may be attractive, but he wasn’t exactly the most tactful in social situations. Rhys pushed his insecurities to the back of his thoughts and decided to do something that he hadn’t done in a long time: go for a run.

In college, Rhys’s build leant him naturally to track. He was never on the team for fear of embarrassing himself in front of the whole school by falling over because despite being able to run, he was still terribly clumsy. Rhys instead ran on his own time, enjoying the rhythmic beating of his feet against the ground as a destresser. During exam time he could listen to notes he had recorded for himself whilst running so that he could revise in an environment where no one could interrupt him. Thankfully, Rhys and Vaughn’s apartment was near enough to a decent sized park, so whenever Rhys was stressed, he could go for a run to clear his head. 

Rhys had made his way to the park and had started running. He easily fell back into the swing of things and enjoyed the time he had to listen to some podcasts that he had been meaning to get into. Around the twenty minute mark, Rhys was getting tired so he decided to go and stretch. He made his way to an empty bench, put his hands on the back like he was a ballet dancer and the bench was a barre, stepped back, and bent over to stretch out the backs of his legs.   
A sharp smack to his rear had Rhys ready to fight. It wasn’t an unusual thing, sadly. Many men thought that he was female and got really offended by the fact that he wasn’t their gender of choice. It annoyed Rhys even more than usual because they were more offended by his gender than they were disgusted by their own lewd actions. Rhys immediately jumped up, bringing his hand up to slap the assailant. The young man was shocked to find a hand ready to catch his wrist and a familiar face attached to that arm. 

“Holy _shit_.” 

Jack smirked and shrugged, “I’ve been called worse. Wassup cupcake?” 

“I was, uh, stretching, because, y’know, running and stuff…” Rhys ran his free hand through his hair, trying to keep his face straight when he realised just how _sweaty_ he really was. 

“Mmmhmmm yeah you were. Damn, Rhys, you sure have an ass on you.” Jack took a slurp from the drink he had in the hand that was _not_ holding Rhys’s wrist. Rhys looked at the drink and couldn’t hide the expression of disgust that formed on his features. Jack had a frappuccino in his hand. Not just any frappuccino, but the most sickly sweet looking thing that Rhys had ever seen. Caramel was swirled around the sides of the plastic cup and the biggest mound of whipped cream topped the sugary drink off. 

“What? Not a fan of coffee?” 

“I’m a fan of coffee, hence why _that_ abomination is disgusting.” Rhys tried to pull his wrist away but Jack’s grip only tightened. 

“Normally, I would say to each to his own, but my _coffee_ is something that I hold very dear to my heart.”

“I’m afraid we’re just going to have to agree to disagree.” Rhys held Jack’s gaze, trying to prove that he wasn’t going to roll over just because Jack was famous. “Anyway, what are you doing back on this side of town? Surely you have better things to do than hang around this shitty part of the city?” 

“Well, I was coming over to your’s to see if you had died. You didn’t send me a text and seeing as you took me in as a little stray, cupcake, I know where you live.” 

Rhys was aghast, “What the _fuck_ Jack? You can’t just turn up to someone’s home because they haven’t texted you! According to Google you need to wait at least three-” 

“You Googled this?” Jack raised an eyebrow, smirking. That damn smile made it harder for Rhys to be angry, but the younger man managed to do so anyway. 

“Yes! It’s been a long time, OK?” Jack let out a sound of disbelief that Rhys chose to ignore, “As I was saying, you’re supposed to wait three days until you text someone after you get their number.”   
“I’m the CEO of a trillion dollar company. I don’t wait three days for something I want.” Jack took another sip from the thing he called a drink. 

“Normal people, like myself, do. May I have my wrist back?” Rhys gave it an experimental tug, to which Jack twirled him around, pulling him into a sweetheart hold. Rhys gave an embarrassing squeal and remained ramrod straight in Jack’s hold. 

“I like having you close, cupcake, so having the wrist back is a no go.” Jack leant his face close to Rhys’s, practically resting his chin on his shoulder. 

Rhys tried to ignore the red rising to his cheeks, “At least take me to dinner first.” 

“Send me a text and I will.” Rhys was painfully aware of Jack’s breath against his neck and willed himself to not get a boner in public. 

“If you let me go, I can send you a text.” Rhys nodded his head down to his phone which was strapped to his arm so he could listen to something whilst running. 

Jack stepped back, raising his hands in a mock surrender. Rhys smiled and got his phone from it’s case, sending just a poop emoji to Jack’s number. Jack reached for his phone as he buzzed and took another sip of his drink. This time it was obnoxiously loud because he had reached a part of the drink that was just whipped cream. “Real mature, kitten...” 

Rhys simply stuck his tongue out at Jack, “If you don’t mind, I have to get home and shower.” 

“Without me?” Jack pouted. 

Rhys simply shook his head and laughed. What was he getting himself into if this is what the man counted as flirting? 

“Goodbye Jack. Text me details about dinner.” 

With that, Rhys turned on his heel and walked away. A few seconds after, a Rhys felt a buzz on his arm and he retrieved his phone to look at the text. 

_HJ: Damn…_

_HJ: I h8 seeing u go but i <3 watchin u leave…_.

* * *

Rhys took the next few days relatively slowly. Jack was constantly texting him, like a whiny teenager. Rhys asked several times if he really was the CEO of a tech giant to which he said he employed people to run it. In Jack’s mind, he was paying them, so why should he have to lift a finger? 

Rhys, on the other hand, had to remind Jack that _he_ still had to work. Rent wouldn’t pay itself, despite offers from Jack to pay it for him and Vaughn (whom Jack lovingly called ‘short stack’). Rhys still had his dignity in tact, for now. He couldn't have a sugar daddy. Well, he couldn’t have a sugar daddy this soon after meeting him. Later, perhaps? Rhys shook the thought from his head and tried to focus on what he was meant to be doing at work. 

Today was the day that Jack and Rhys were going to have their first date. Jack had said he’d send a car for him and Rhys expected nothing less. Jack seemed like the kind of guy that liked to flaunt his cash - offering to pay Rhys’s rent being the prime example - so Rhys was mentally preparing himself to be the cheapest looking guy in one of the city’s most expensive restaurants. Work was, admittedly, slightly on a back burner as it was most Friday afternoons, but it was made worse by the incessant flashing light coming from his phone saying that he had received a text. 

Rhys couldn’t take it any longer and rushed into the bathroom for the fifth time that day. His co-workers are going to think that he’s eaten something funny. Truthfully, he’d prefer that. Jack was the CEO of a rival company and if anyone found out that Rhys was going on a date with him, he could either be fired or used for corporate espionage; neither thing sounded particularly good to the young man. 

Rhys locked himself in a cubicle and swiped to unlock his phone. He had _fourteen_ missed texts from Jack. This man was ridiculous but Rhys couldn’t help but smile. It was endearing in the same way that a puppy constantly nipping at your heels is. 

_HJ: Hey sweet cheeks_  
HJ: u ok?  
HJ: i hope so bc u should b happy  
HJ: ah shit  
HJ: ur at work right?????  
HJ: fuckin jobs rite? Who the fuk needs em???  
HJ: the rent offer still stands btw  
HJ: ull b my rent boy lol  
HJ: im excited 4 2nite  
HJ: wear sumthin tht makes ur butt look gud   
HJ: bc those shorts were 10/10   
HJ: sadly the place ive chosen would frown upon shorts  
HJ: i trust that u will choose sumthin nice tho  
HJ: 2nite is gonna b so good rhysie u hav no idea  
  
Rhys started typing so that he could stop those little three dots from bobbing up and down on the bottom left of his screen. 

_Rhysie <3: Jesus Jack, running a company really takes a toll on you, eh?_  
HJ: ive said b4 that i pay people to run this shit 4 mw  
HJ: me*  
Rhysie: I’ll wear something nice, don’t you worry ;)   
HJ: oh cupcake, u know how to treat me right  
HJ: pics?  
Rhysie <3: I don’t put out before the first date.  
Rhysie <3: Also, I’m at work Jack!  
Rhysie: You’re seeing me tonight anyway, be patient ;)  
HJ: ur killing me here kitten  
Rhysie <3: I need to get back to work now  
Rhysie <3: I’m turning my phone OFF just so you know  
Rhysie <3: I need to actually get work done because I do work here  
HJ: fine…  
HJ: c u 2nite sweetcheeks xoxoxox  


Rhys nearly laughed aloud at the emojis that followed, sheerly from the shock of how _lewd_ they were. Washing his hands, Rhys left the bathroom and returned to his desk. Thankfully, his little bathroom excursion had left only 10 minutes left of the work day. Rhys smiled and sat down at his desk, his leg bouncing with pent up energy. This date was going to be amazing. Rhys just had a feeling deep in his gut that it was going to be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where to now batman, eh? Chloe (@loki-dokey) helped come up with the idea for chapter three so you have her to thank when that comes out!!! 
> 
> come say hi! therhackoning


	3. Expensive Alcohol Makes People Do Sappy Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for the date! Jack pulls out all the stops...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was super fun to write as always and oh my god it has actual plot! I know I said Bring On The Men would be updated but lmao that is hard to write and this is easier so the main reason why this has updated is bc I am lazy... 
> 
> Big thanks as always to Erin, Chloe, and Core' (erinchu, loki-dokey, and shippingismypersonalhell respectively) for getting me through this with their kind words and gentle encouragements! 
> 
> Anyway enjoy!

Rhys was preening and he knew it. Vaughn knew it too. As did Yvette… and Sasha… and Fiona. Everyone was called to the apartment in a state of emergency with the simple message of _HELP_ in their group chat. 

Everyone was squished onto their tiny sofa as Rhys stood in the bathroom having a fight with his hair to make it look right. Many people didn’t take enough pride in their hair, in Rhys’s opinion. It was the first thing that he noticed about someone so he was going to keep it as neat as possible. 

“Rhys, for fuck’s sake, come out here and let us see you!” Vaughn shouted over his shoulder at his roommate. 

“Just… Five more minutes, OK?” Rhys was losing to his hair at this point as one strand was refusing to go into his otherwise perfect design. 

Sasha had had enough. She fought her way out of the mess of people on the sofa and marched over to the bathroom. A startled squeak later and Rhys was dragged into the front room with all his friends. 

“Thank God he’s not wearing a tie!” Fiona raised her hands up to the sky in a mock prayer to which she received a death glare. 

“That tie is a Rhys classic and you cannot take it away from me.” Rhys jabbed a finger at her. The response to this was resounding laughter. Rhys did know that the tie was probably the most terrible thing that he owned in his wardrobe, but he loved it and therefore his friends should be supportive and love it with him. 

Rhys decided, much to the thanks of his friends, that less was more for this evening. Choosing a simple black dress shirt which he had rolled to the sleeves with the first two buttons undone. Jack had suggested earlier that day to wear something that accentuated his butt, and he wasn’t one to decline. The dress pants Rhys had picked out were his favourite for one reason only: they hugged in all the right places. 

Rhys stood in front of his friends and twirled. Everyone indulged him with sarcastic claps. Yvette stood up and placed a hand on her chin, looking Rhys up and down. Rhys cocked an eyebrow, confused by his friend’s reaction to his usual tomfoolery. She undid another button of his shirt, his tattoos now visible, and she nodded approvingly. “We all need this to go well, Rhys. You’re not dating for your own benefit, you’re dating for the five of us.” 

“Woah! What the fuck? Why?” Rhys took a step back and crossed his arms. He was toying with the idea of doing the all the buttons on his shirt up now bar the collar one. He didn’t want to be whored out like this. 

“Well,” Fiona said, “If you get a sugar daddy, we _all_ reap the benefits of you banging one of the world’s richest men. No limit credit cards, yo!” 

Rhys simply put his head in his hands as his friends burst into laughter with Fiona pretending to make it rain. 

A small chime coming from the counter silenced the whole group. Rhys locked eyes with Yvette, who was still standing next to him. He lunged for the phone, just making it before Yvette did and read the message that he had just received. 

_HJ: ur carriage awaits princess xxx_

Rhys clutched his phone to his chest and sighed. “See ya later, nerds!” With a two fingered salute, he was off. 

When Rhys reached the front door of his apartment building, he was greeted by a black town car. He couldn’t help his mind from suddenly remembering every kidnapping movie that he had ever seen and his heart rate skyrocketed. Thankfully, his nerves subsided when a familiar face appeared as the window was rolled down at the back. 

“Come on, princess! We ain’t got all day! _Díos mío_ …”

Rhys raised an eyebrow at the sudden Spanish and made his way towards the car. As if from nowhere, the driver appeared and opened up the door for him. Rhys tried to hide the fact that he jumped but he had apparently failed as he heard Jack laughing from inside the car. 

“Hey Jack…” Rhys ran his hand over the back of his neck. 

“Hey yourself!” Jack rubbed his hands together, “I have a great night planned for us. It’s gonna blow your socks off!” 

Rhys giggled to himself. The back seat of the town car was very spacious but Jack, it seems, is one for man spreading. This left Rhys with about half of the seat that he was entitled to but, truthfully, he didn’t mind. Jack’s general demeanor was to be expected and Rhys wasn’t really in the position to complain about going on a date with probably the richest man in the city right now.

Rhys risked a look over at his date. _Holy shit his **date**_. Jack had an almost predatory smile. 

“Didn’t know you were tatted up, cupcake” Jack raised an eyebrow as Rhys flushed the deepest red he had ever gone. He hadn’t done up the button and the blue tattoos that went across his chest were very visible. 

“You know…” Rhys laughed nervously, “...when you turn eighteen and you suddenly realise that you're free to do whatever you want to and you have a load of birthday money?” Rhys just gestured to himself to answer the question. 

Jack looked as if he was about to laugh but caught himself. He rolled up the sleeve on his right arm and showed Rhys his wrist. There was a gear tattoo that encircled his wrist. 

Rhys let out a laugh, “Wow… Edgy…” 

“Hey, like you said, eighteen and- wait did you say ‘freedom feels’? Holy shit kiddo that’s hilarious!” 

“That’s not fair! When I’m nervous I get word vomit, OK?” 

A beat. “You’re nervous?” 

“Well...Yeah. You’re _Jack Lawrence_. You are probably the most powerful man within a one hundred mile radius and I’m sitting in a car with you about to go on a _date_ with you. Forgive me for the _slight_ amount of nerves I have.” 

“Don’t be nervous Rhysie, everything is gonna be just _fine_.”

A silence hung over the pair for a while. “So…” Rhys tried to start but was interrupted by:

“Got any more tats in _other areas_ that I should know about?” Jack waggled his eyebrows at the younger man and Rhys slapped his arm as a rebuttle. 

“Oh my God Jack you can’t just _ask_ someone that! How would you like it if I asked you?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to find out?” Jack looked Rhys dead in the eye, voice serious with the question. 

As if a gift from the heavens was suddenly bestowed upon Rhys, the car stopped and a few moments later, the door on Jack’s side was opened by the driver. 

Jack got out gracefully and pulled his shirt sleeve down, redoing the button. Rhys, on the other hand, clambered over the bench seat and managed to get his lanky frame out onto the sidewalk. 

Jack was practically crying with laughter by the time Rhys had composed himself. 

“I would have gone round to your door, sir.” The driver stated matter-of-factly. 

“Oh… uh…” Jack clapped Rhys on the back, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, and kept his hand there whilst they walked into the entrance of the restaurant. 

Rhys immediately felt out of place. The restaurant they were eating looked like the kind of place to not have menu prices because if you can afford it, you don’t need to ask. Jack, on the other hand, looked in his element. The pair waltzed past the maître d'hôtel, Jack practically pulling Rhys along so that the young man didn’t look _too_ starstruck. 

Jack walked over to a table without being shown to it and pulled out one of the chairs for Rhys to sit down on. Rhys didn’t protest to the lack of host or hostess showing them to their seats as he was trying his hardest to keep his expression calm rather than plain old _confused_. 

Jack sat opposite him, “Damn, kiddo, you took my advice about making your butt look good.” 

“Wha-” Rhys was interrupted by Jack being spoken to by a host who came out of nowhere and Jack requesting something that sounded disgustingly expensive to drink. 

“C’mon Rhysie, I’m giving ya a compliment here! I said you looked sexy, the normal response is a demure flush and a thank you.” Jack propped up his head on his hands with his elbows resting on the table. Rhys, on the other hand, was sitting with his arms by his sides and slightly slumped. 

“I need a little bit of time to adjust here, Jack.” Rhys sounded a touch airy in the way he spoke. 

“Adjust? Adjust to what? It’s a restaurant, _chico_ , just do resteraunt things.” Jack leant back, placing his hands behind his head letting Rhys see how mouth-wateringly _amazing_ his arms were, even through a dress shirt. 

Rhys looked around where he was sitting and saw someone he recognised. Immediately, in a near flail of arms, Rhys leant into Jack and whispered, “Holy _shit_ is that the mayor?” 

“Ol’ Tassiter? I didn’t realise it was date night for him. Must remember to send him some flowers. His dog just died so, y’know, politics and the like…” Jack trailed off with a blasé wave of his hand. 

Rhys leant back and let out a short breath, “This is so normal for you.” 

“Yeah, kitten, I _am_ very rich. This kinda shit is my everyday.” Rhys rubbed his hand over his face and by the time he had opened his eyes again, two glasses (more like buckets) of wine. The host was practically silent so Rhys almost jumped when he saw the drink in front of him. 

Jack raised his glass, looking over the rim of it at Rhys. Rhys lifted his too, looking much more sheepish than he wanted to be. Jack toasted, “To us, _guapo_.”

* * *

Dinner was _amazing_. Rhys was pretty drunk by the end of the meal. To his recollection, the wine in the glass near his left hand had never gone below a certain level and it was being refilled by a mysterious force. Jack had switched to whiskey at some point in the evening so he was mixing his drinks. The pair of them had resorted to playing footsie under the table and giggling to themselves. 

“So, _mi rey_ , what do ya wanna do?” Jack slurred his words slightly whilst examining the liquid in his glass. 

As if it had a mind of it’s own, Rhys’s stomach rumbled. 

“What the fuck kiddo? You literally just ate!” 

“Fancy restaurants,” Rhys poked an accusatory finger at Jack, “always serve tiny food. Like baby carrots and baby zucchini and shit like that. It’s never enough!” Rhys was running his foot up and down Jack’s leg. 

Jack stood up with a sudden urgency, making Rhys jump. “I know where we need to go.” Jack threw several one hundred dollar bills onto the table and grabbed Rhys’s hand. Rhys crashed into him and used the older man for support. 

The pair left the restaurant and the valet stepped forward and tried to talk. Jack simply put his hand up to wave the young man away. “I got this. _We_ ,” Jack gestured “are going for a walk and _I_ have my phone, so I got it!” Jack waved his phone to prove a point, nearly dropping it in the process. Rhys had a permanent red colour to his cheeks by this point and simply giggled into Jack’s shoulder. 

The two men walked off, swaying along the sidewalk as they tried to walk in a straight line. The city at night was always so beautiful. This area was slightly quieter than the rest but it didn’t stop there being traffic still. The street lights glowed amber as the couple walked along in the night. Rhys looked at his watch and saw that it was past one in the morning. He didn’t realise that it was that late. This evening had gone swimmingly and Rhys had never been happier on a first date. Jack’s hand was resting on the small of his back and Rhys had his arm around Jack’s waist. It just felt so _normal_ to be like this. Rhys had all but forgotten how famous Jack was in this moment of solitude. 

Suddenly they stopped, and Rhys looked up from resting his head on Jack’s shoulder. The young man immediately burst into laughter. 

“Fucking _IHOP_?” 

“What? Just because I have money doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate good drunk food. C’mon, _chico_ , let’s eat.”

* * *

The meal had sobered both of them up and frankly, Rhys was stuffed. He had chosen French Toast and Jack had chosen waffles. Both of them we sitting in the small booth, content. Jack had texted his driver and he was on his way to pick the two of them up. 

Rhys had his hands on the table and Jack was absentmindedly rubbing circles into the palm of Rhys’s right hand. This was oddly perfect. The bright lights of the late night restaurant gave the whole moment a slight ethereal feeling. Rhys wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Jack’s phone buzzed on the table, letting the pair know that the car was waiting for them outside. Jack sighed and fully threaded his fingers through Rhys’s. Normally, if this were any other date, Rhys would have started freaking out about the fact that they were _holding hands holy shit this is getting serious_ , but right now, Rhys was too tired to care. He was comfortable and going home actually sounded like the best thing right now. 

Jack held the car door open for Rhys and he slid in, relishing in the soft leather and how it felt to his weary body. Jack got in the other side and and ran his hand over his face. Rhys scooted over in the seat and rested his head on Jack’s shoulder. Jack shifted away and Rhys pouted, confused. Had he misread the situation? Everything was going so well. He’d managed to fuck it up in the last couple of minutes. Just like him really. 

In all his anxiety, Rhys hadn’t realised that Jack had moved so that he could put his arm around Rhys. “Fucking hell, kid. Can’t take a hint?” 

“Oh my God I’m so sorry.” Rhys blushed a deep red and scooted over to Jack. It felt as if they were made for each other. Rhys fit perfectly into Jack’s side and he never wanted to leave. Jack smelt faintly of cigarette smoke even though Rhys hadn’t seen him with one all evening. The young man thought it was just a permanent smell that hung around the man and he honestly didn’t care. Rhys inhaled and sunk deeper into Jack. The silence was easy, not needing words. 

The ride didn’t last very long and soon Rhys and Jack were standing by the entrance to Rhys’s apartment building. Neither person really wanted to speak because it would mean that the night was over. 

“Thank you.” Rhys finally broke the silence. “Honestly, I was super worried for tonight but this was the best first date that I have ever had.” Rhys ran his hand over the back of his neck. 

Jack reached down and took Rhys’s hand in his own and brought them up to Rhys’s face. “If we’re having an honest moment, it’s been a long while since I was in the dating scene but I’m glad my first venture back in was with you.”

Rhys leaned into the touch and sighed. It seemed like he was doing that a lot this evening and it wasn’t from boredom, it was from contentment. Rhys had felt like a part of his life had finally fallen into place and it had been amazing. 

The two stood like that for a while until Rhys pulled his hand up to Jack’s face and pulled him down for a kiss. Jack raised his eyebrows at how forward Rhys was but gave into the kiss anyway. It was so different to how their first kiss was. Where that was filled with drunken urgency, this was filled with calm and the promise of something new. Rhys opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and arched his back into Jack. 

**BUZZ**

“ _Mierda_ ” Jack pulled away from the kiss and fished his phone from out of his pocket. “Fucking hell… Rhys I am so sorry but I’ve been called away for an emergency.” 

“Emergency? At what, 3am?” Rhys’s eyebrows were knitted in worry. 

“I know, crazy right?” Jack kissed Rhys again, short and crass. “I’ll call you!” 

Jack practically stormed off to the car, leaving Rhys dumbly standing at the door of his apartment. As the car pulled away, Rhys patted his pockets to get his keys and came up blank. He had his phone, but he knew Vaughn always had his phone on silent when he went to sleep. Rhys swallowed his pride and rang the buzzer for his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a tease I'm so sorry but I promise that there is gonna be sin in the next chapter! It'll be my first time writing it so please be gentle! 
> 
> hmu on tumblr: therhackoning


	4. Lunch Dates Make For Interesting Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vaughn is concerned, Jack is pissed off, Rhys is nervous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT SIN PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF IT'S REALLY BAD
> 
> Thanks to Coré for the Spanish translation (shippingismypersonalhell). 
> 
> And, as always, a massive thanks to Chloe (loki-dokey) and Erin (erinchu) for helping me through this even when I thought I couldn't write any more, they helped so much!
> 
> EDIT: forveleth helped with some edits to the Spanish to make it a touch easier to read and possibly easier for Google translate ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )

Vaughn was displeased to say the least. Being woken up by his roommate at nearly four in the morning was not his idea of a great way to start a Saturday. Thankfully, work wasn’t offering overtime this week and Vaughn could thankfully sleep in. Rhys slept like a log well into the day and awoke to a single text, albeit a long one:

_HJ: Hey sweetcheeks sorry for leaving last nite i was called away by work bc those idiots cant run a fckin company for 2 secs when im away like srsly who needs me to hold their hand all the time????? I cant stop thinking about how we left things lst nite it was gd come visit me at work on monday when u hav ur lunch break bc we need to catch on on lost time if u catch my drift ;) see ya kitten_

Rhys ran his hand over his face and sighed. He should have known that Jack was the kind of guy who wants to have sex after one date but Rhys could still feel the smile stretch across his face. Last night was truly the most fun he had ever had on a date. The walk from the restaurant to IHOP was a little fuzzy, but he remembered the important things. Like the way Jack’s hand felt on the small of his back and the way Jack and he seemed to fit into each other like they were designed that way. Rhys felt his face flush as he held his phone to his chest. This man was going to be the death of him. 

Rhys decided, seeing as it was past two in the afternoon, that he should probably go and get something to eat. He suddenly remembered he had some leftover Chinese take-out in the fridge and mentally thanked past him for ordering it. 

Dragging his form from his bed, Rhys trudged his way to the kitchen, waving at Vaughn as he passed. Vaughn was on his laptop, looking like death with bags under his eyes. Rhys felt sort of sorry for him, seeing as his tiredness was his own doing. However, last night was so good that he didn’t really care how tired his best friend was. 

Rhys reached into the fridge and pulled out the carton from the fridge, giving it a quick sniff to see if it was still good. Deciding that it was OK, Rhys opened the microwave and popped the container in. He leant against the counter, waiting for the microwave to be done.

“So, do you wanna know?”

“Huh?” Vaughn looked up from his laptop, bleary-eyed and slightly confused. Rhys decided to make some coffee to try and get his friend slightly more awake. 

The microwave dinged at the same time the coffee was done, causing Rhys to become mildly flustered but he recovered swiftly and deposited a fresh cup of joe in front of his best friend. Vaughn grunted an appreciation and took a sip straight from the cup, seemingly unaware of how hot the liquid was. Rhys raised his eyebrows, cracking a smile at the peculiar behaviour, and went to retrieve his food.

“What did you say?” The caffeine had started to take effect as Vaughn finally responded to Rhys’s question. 

“I asked if you wanted to know how last night went.” 

“On the one hand, I don’t. Simply because thinking of you’re love life kinda grosses me out, bro. But, on the other hand, this is a one in a lifetime opportunity to see what it’s like to go on a date with a fucking _billionaire_...” Vaughn raised the coffee cup to his lips, looking over his glasses at his friend. 

“So? I’m going to take this as a yes and I’m gonna spill the beans.” Rhys sat down on the couch that vaughn was on, nearly causing Vaughn to spill hot coffee into his lap. Rhys ate another mouthful of food, smiling around it and causing Vaughn to roll his eyes but smile at the goofy nature of the situation. 

Rhys settled in to retell last night’s events, stuffing Chinese food into his mouth every so often and embellishing the things that he couldn’t quite remember due to the alcohol. Vaughn dutifully listened whilst tapping away on his laptop, nodding and giggling in the appropriate places. 

“And then he just… left!” Rhys threw his hands in the air for emphasis. The food had been finished around half way through the retelling and Rhys was back at using his arms as an extra visual aid for his story. Vaughn didn’t pay attention to it, but Rhys felt better talking with his hands. His parents always used to joke about the fact that if you chopped his hands off, he wouldn’t be able to talk.

Vaughn looked up from his laptop with furrowed eyebrows, “He just left? What do you mean he just left?” 

“Yeah! He got a text, swore I think, and left.” 

“What do you mean ‘you think’ he swore?” 

“It was in Spanish! I don’t speak it, how am I supposed to know?” 

“You took it for four years in high school and took it as an elective in college. How do you _not_ know how to fucking _swear_ in Spanish!” 

“I don’t know! I never asked!” 

“So fourteen year old you never wanted to know how to swear in another language?” 

“I was a good kid…” Rhys avoided eye contact. 

Vaughn punched his friend in the arm lightly, both of them collapsing in laughter. 

After the pair had composed themselves, Vaughn looked Rhys in the eye, “So you like him?” 

“Yeah I like him. I wouldn’t have gone on a date with the guy if I didn’t like him. 

“But, oh God why am I asking this,” Vaughn pushed his glasses back up his nose, “do you _like_ like him?” 

“Vaughn! What are you, twelve?” Rhys threw one of the cushions at Vaughn.

“What? I just wanna make sure you’re happy bro…” 

“Bro…” Rhys put his hand on Vaughn’s shoulder, “I am happy.” 

“Good. Just making sure.”

* * *

Monday morning rolled around after a weekend of _extremely_ lewd texting between the pair. Jack had managed to coerce certain… pictures from the younger lad over the weekend. Rhys had been repaid in kind, of course, and it meant that Rhys was slightly nervous for their meeting today. If their texts were anything to go by, something was likely to happen today. 

Rhys was standing outside the Hyperion building in the financial district of the city. Jack had told him to just walk into the building, go into an elevator like he owned the place, and hold the button for the top floor down. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he weirdly trusted Jack after only knowing him for a couple of weeks. 

Rhys took a deep breath in, straightened his tie, and walked in. He bee-lined for an elevator, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and found one empty. He quickly pressed the button for the top floor and the doors closed immediately. He kept a hold on the button and hoped for the best. 

The doors reopened after a minute and Rhys let go of the breath he didn’t realise h e was holding in. A woman was sat behind a desk, typing on a computer. She didn’t even look up as she waved Rhys towards a door to the right of him. Rhys wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say so he just nodded and walked towards the door. 

Rhys was unsure what to do now he was actually faced with Jack’s office doors. He decided to knock and walk in simultaneously, hoping that he was close enough to Jack to be able to do this. 

When Rhys walked in, Jack was on the phone to someone. He was speaking very rapidly down the phone to someone in Spanish. Rhys decided to was best to stay put until Jack noticed him. 

“ _¿Comó?¿Cómo que han desaparecido?_ ” A beat. “ _¡No me importa una mierda que se hayan escapado, encuéntralas! ¡Imbéciles! ¿Sabéis cuánto me cuesta esta mierda?_ ” Jack sighed, “ _Por el amor de Dios, recupéralas antes de que os mate, ¿comprendido?_ ” Jack hung up abruptly and turned to Rhys. He waved his hand in a beckoning motion and Rhys wasn’t going to be one to argue. 

Jack looked _fucking pissed_ to say the least. Rhys just stood in front of the desk, looking at Jack and hoping that he hadn’t done anything wrong by walking into the office. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and made his way around the desk to stand in front of Rhys. Jack cupped Rhys’s face in his hands and just looked Rhys dead in the eye. 

“All these people, never do anything right do they? I employ them for something, right? Bunch of fucking idiots I swear.” During this, Jack was undoing the top 4 buttons of Rhys’s shirt, just talking to himself. 

Jack stepped in behind Rhys and the younger man shivered, suddenly realising the gravity of the situation. “But you,” Jack breathed down Rhys’s neck, his lips ghosting over the sensitive area, “you know how to behave, right?” 

“Yes…” Rhys resisted the urge to lean back into Jack, wanting to fully submit to the older man. 

“You’re missing a word there, sweetpea.” Jack ran his hand along the side of Rhys’s body and ran his finger’s through Rhys’s hair, giving the strands a light tug to force Rhys to move his head back.

“Yes sir…” Rhys shivered as the words passed his lips, finally realising that Jack wanted the same thing as him. Rhys had never felt so aroused in his life and it was all because of those two simple words. 

Jack leant down and pressed a kiss to Rhys’s neck. Rhys gasped when he felt Jack nip at him, obviously trying to leave a mark. 

“J-Ja… I mean sir, the gla- glass doors.” Rhys managed to say, barely remembering how exposed he actually was. Jack reached around Rhys and hit a button on the desk, causing all the windows in the office tinted. Despite this, Rhys had never felt so exposed in an intimate situation and he was so turned on. _Huh, I guess you learn something about your kinks everyday _, Rhys thought to himself.__

__Jack removed his hand from Rhys’s hair and walked around to the front of him. Their mouths clashed together, all of Jack’s stress and frustration was poured into Rhys. Teeth clashed and Rhys let out a moan that would make a porn star blush , causing Jack to laugh and grind his hips against Rhys’s, eliciting another moan from the younger man._ _

__Jack pulled away from the kiss, causing Rhys to try and follow with a slightly embarrassing whine. Jack didn’t seem to notice and started kissing along Rhys’s jaw as his hand found his way into Rhys’s underwear._ _

__“I’m gonna take you on my desk, OK?” Jack whispered into Rhys’s ear and nibbled on his earlobe. Rhys didn’t know how to respond, he was too focused on the sensation of Jack’s hand on his dick, stroking his hardness. Jack’s hand was large and calloused, strange for a man who ran a company from behind a desk, but Rhys was more focused on something else to really give it much thought. “Because, ever since I saw your pert little ass I knew it needed _wrecking_.” With the last word, Jack withdrew his hand from Rhys’s boxers, causing Rhys to buck his hips at the loss of contact. _ _

__Roughly, Jack turned the pair around and flipped Rhys over so that his stomach was pressed against the edge of the desk. Jack pulled Rhys’s head around again to kiss him roughly before walking around the desk to go to one of the drawers. Rhys raised his eyebrows before laughing to himself. Of course Jack kept lube and condoms in his desk._ _

__Jack raised his head after finding what he was looking for and flashed Rhys a wicked grin. Rhys knew what he needed to do and cleared a space on the desk, and waited to see what was going to happen next. Jack’s smile never flagged, pupils dilated with lust. On the one hand, Rhys felt powerful because _he_ was the person who had made one of the world’s most influential men feel this way. On the other hand, he was trying to control his breathing, waiting for the next order from Jack. _ _

__Rhys turned his head to the side to see Jack walk behind him. A strong hand caressed Rhys’s still-clothed ass and Rhys was suddenly aware of how painful his dick was, pressing against his pants and underwear. Jack placed a hand on the small of Rhys’s back, pushing him slowly down onto the desk. When Rhys’s chest was flush with the surface, Jack ran his hand down to his ass and gave it a squeeze, causing Rhys to moan once again. He was aware of the receptionist outside but he honestly didn’t care at that moment._ _

__Jack placed the lube on the desk next to Rhys’s head and hooked his fingers in Rhys’s belt loops. Jack tugged down the pants painfully slowly, nearly causing Rhys to beg for something faster, but he wasn’t at that point _yet_. Next, Rhys was stripped of his underwear, his painfully hard dick now exposed to the elements. Jack ran a hand appreciatively over Rhys’s bare ass and let out a low whistle. Rhys arched his back, pushing his ass back towards Jack. _ _

__“You look so amazing like this… You’re my _special boy_.” With that, Jack leaned forward and picked up the lube from next to Rhys’s head. The feeling of the material of Jack’s shirt was amplified greatly by Rhys’s state of arousal. Jack rubbed his clothed erection against Rhys’s bare backside, causing Rhys to whimper. _ _

__Rhys heard the distinctive sound of the cap of the lube being opened. Soon enough, Rhys could feel Jack’s fingers pressing against his hole, teasing him. Rhys canted his hips backwards, trying to get Jack to push a finger in._ _

__“Nah ah, what do we say?”_ _

__Rhys bit his lip. He was determined earlier on not to beg, but right now all he could think of was Jack’s dick filling him up. Rhys kept his face pressed against the desk and whimpered a quiet, “Please…”_ _

__“What was that?” Jack used the hand not teasing Rhys to smack Rhys’s bare ass, “I couldn’t quite hear you.”_ _

__“Please, sir…”_ _

__“That’s more like it.” Jack slid his index finger into Rhys, causing Rhys to moan. Jack started moving his finger back and forth painfully slowly, obviously wanting to take his time to tease the lad. Rhys relished the bittersweet sensation._ _

__“More, sir, more please!” Rhys had decided to just give in to Jack. It was easier to focus when someone else was giving him instructions when he was in a state like this. Jack obliged and added a second finger, scissoring him open. Rhys tried to move back onto Jack’s fingers, but Jack was keeping his hand on the small of Rhys’s back, preventing him from moving._ _

__Jack added a third finger, causing Rhys to bring his hand up to his mouth to prevent yet another moan from escaping him. Jack was pumping him hard, prepping him amazingly. Jack curled his fingers, causing Rhys to see stars as Jack’s fingers brushed against his prostate._ _

__After a while Rhys was practically writhing with want. The head of his cock leaking precum and begging to be touched. Jack withdrew his fingers and Rhys tried to follow, making a whimpering noise._ _

__Rhys heard the sound of a belt being undone but it was moving around him. Rhys looked up confused, and through his lusty haze he saw Jack sitting in his desk chair, naked from the waist down, lubing his own condomed cock up with long, languid strokes. Rhys nearly fainted from the sight. Jack’s shirt was undone fully, exposing chiseled abs and glorious pecs. Tattoos covered his chest, designs and patterns that he was too lust driven to make sense of._ _

__The young man stood up and made his way around the desk on shaky legs._ _

__“That’s it, come to Papa.” Jack ran his tongue over his lips, biting the bottom one after. Rhys nearly came right there from the sight of it._ _

__When Rhys reached Jack, he made to turn around but a hand on his wrist stopped him. “No, I want to see you.” Rhys obliged and climbed up onto the chair, placing his knees either side of Jack’s hips. Jack had the biggest office chair that Rhys had ever seen, sparing no expense . Now, at least, Rhys was grateful for Jack’s love of showing money through buying the biggest and the best._ _

__Jack leant up to catch Rhys’s lips in his own, softer than before. One of Jack’s hands remained on his own cock and the other rested on Rhys’s hip. Jack guided the head of his dick towards Rhys’s waiting asshole. When the head passed the tight ring of muscle, Rhys broke away from the kiss to gasp. Rhys rested his arms around Jack’s neck, capturing the older man’s lips once again as he sank down onto Jack’s cock._ _

__Rhys rode Jack slow, relishing in the sensation of Jack inside him and enjoying the expression of pure bliss on his partner's face. Rhys dipped his head back to allow Jack to pepper kisses along his neck. Jack sucked a mark into Rhys’s collarbone, nipping at the sensitive area after he was done._ _

__“God, kiddo, you are so _tight_. You’re amazing…” Rhys blushed at the praise, feeling his dick twitch against his stomach. _ _

__Jack bucked his hips up, becoming impatient with Rhys’s slow pace. Jack’s cock hit Rhys’s prostate and the moan he let out was muffled by the pair kissing. Jack maintained a brutal pace after this, ramming up into Rhys. Rhys tried to match his pace but with Jack hitting his prostate every time, it was hard to coordinate anything._ _

__“Jack, please. Jack, I need you to-” Rhys was cut off by Jack taking Rhys’s cock into his hand and pumping him in time with his thrusts. The familiar feeling pooling in the bottom of his stomach. Jack’s rhythm was becoming erratic, obviously coming close himself._ _

__Rhys came with stars in his eyes, his own cum splattering over his own and Jack’s chests. Rhys’s inner walls clenching caused Jack to come himself, biting down onto Rhys’s shoulder which has become exposed during everything. Jack was still pumping Rhys’s cock, milking his orgasm for all it was worth._ _

__When the pair had calmed down, Jack pulled Rhys off of himself and sat him in the chair in place of himself. The CEO reached into a draw to get some wet wipes to clean the pair off. Jack’s hair, whilst usually perfect, was flattened with sweat and he looked even more gorgeous than ever if that was even possible. Rhys knew that he must look a mess, but he didn’t care. He’d just had the best fuck of his life, in an office of all places, so he was a very happy man._ _

__Jack cleaned the pair of them off, and looked at Rhys. There was something in the way that the man looked at him that made his heart melt in a way that it never had before._ _

__“So, how about some lunch, eh?” Jack stood up and Rhys fell about laughing. Jack seemed to have forgotten he was naked from the waist down with his shirt already half off. This man was too good to be true._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sin does have an alternate version written by Chloe and Erin which the Discord group has experienced and boy that was... something to say the least... 
> 
> Comments always welcome! 
> 
> come say hi: therhackoning


	5. The Promise of Money Makes People Agree To Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys is asked to do something for his boss, and the real source of Jack's power is revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a massive thank you to Chloe (loki-dokey) and Erin (erinchu) for keeping me sane! Also the discord chat for keeping me company when I was writing. 
> 
> Thank you once again to forveleth for the Spanish!
> 
> This one is kinda short, but I needed a springboard for the next bit to happen!

Rhys returned to work after his little _excursion_ during his break and sat down at his desk. His hair was a little messier than before, but he could always attribute it to the humidity of the day rather than what had actually happened. His ass was sore but he would just have to work through the pain. Rhys turned on his computer, and settled in for another four hours of work. 

 

Rhys booted up his computer and logged back in, sadly disappointed that the coding he was working on before lunch had not magically finished itself. He sighed and decided that he better just get stuck back in. His job may not be the most exciting in the world, but it paid well and he was working for a reasonably new up and coming tech company. Hyperion may hold the majority of the market, but Atlas, the company he worked for, had somehow found a niche and was surviving just fine. 

Rhys decided that when the coding on his screen started to look like gibberish more than anything that made sense, to check his emails. It was a procrastination technique, but technically, if anything was asked of him from his bosses, he was going to have to do it whether he liked it or not. Rhys was surprised to see an email from a name he recognised, but not from someone he ever expected to get one before. 

It was from the CEO’s office. 

Rhys stared at his screen dumbfounded. What did the CEO want from him? He was only a middle manager. He hadn’t done anything worth being punished or commended for. So why him?

Rhys decided that he couldn’t put it off any longer and opened the email. 

_Rhys Somerset,_

_You are required in the CEO’s office as soon as you read this email. Please report to the receptionist as soon as you arrive._

_Thank you._

_Susan Jones  
Personal Assistant to Richard MacKay_

Rhys re-read the email around four times, the information finally sinking in after the last read. The CEO of the company he worked for was specifically asking for him. Rhys was screaming internally. He locked his computer, took a deep breath, and stood up. 

The walk to the CEO’s office seemed like it took forever. The building the company was based in was small in comparison to Hyperion’s headquarters but it still took a decent amount of time to get anywhere. Atlas apparently existed for a long time before Rhys was even born, but Hyperion came on the scene and just beat everyone else out of the market. The CEO that the company had now had apparently been left the rights to the company when his father died and, to give credit where credit is due, Mr MacKay had built the company back from the ground up.  
Rhys arrived at the office and the receptionist ferried him in. Rhys bit back a laugh. This was the second time that day that he was entering the office of a CEO. This time, however, he highly doubted he was going to be taken over the desk. 

Rhys stood in the centre of the room. The office was very minimalist, with strange modern art hanging from the walls and a kinetic sculpture hanging from the ceiling. It was very different from Jack’s office, mainly because it was tidier and less things were strewn around the place. 

MacKay looked up from his computer, “Mr. Somerset! So glad you came. Please, sit.” the CEO gestured to a plastic chair in front of his desk. This chair looked like it cost more that Rhys’s paycheck for two months and all he was doing was sitting on it. 

“Right,” Mackay clasped his hands together and placed them on the desk in front of him, making Rhys jump slightly, “I have a special job for you.” 

“A job, sir?” Rhys was really confused. Why him? He was racking his brains for any reason for the CEO of the company he worked for wanted him for a _special_ job. 

“Yes, Somerset, a job. You’re gonna have to keep this on the down low. I don’t want anyone else in your department knowing that I’ve selected you, jealousy and all that. So, what I need you to do is do this job as overtime. You’ll be paid for your time, of course.” 

“I’ll do it.” 

“I haven’t even told you what you need to do!” MacKay laughed.

“Sir, no disrespect, but I need the money. Rent is due soon and my roommate is between jobs so, I need the cash.” 

“Perfect… Right! I’ll get Susan to email over the work to you. You start tonight!” 

Rhys took MacKay turning back to his computer as a sign to go. Rhys left the office with a spring in his step. This day was getting better and better.

* * *

The time that the big clock on the wall displayed that it was five o’clock, the time Rhys would normally go home. Rhys saw all of his co-workers start to leave, giving him curious looks over the cubicle walls but not actually verbalising any concerns. Rhys didn’t pay them any mind, he was the one being paid extra for staying late so the joke was on them. 

Rhys opened up the local network drive and followed the instructions he was given in an email earlier that day. He had to enter four different passwords to get to the file that was needed. When he opened it up, Rhys saw the messiest code he had ever seen in his life. It was _disgusting_ to look it. He was so repulsed by it that he didn’t even know what the damn thing was even supposed to _do_. Rhys sighed and clicked his fingers before settling them on the keyboard. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

_CRACK_

“All you gotta do is tell me where they escaped to, _mijo_ ” 

The guy sat in the chair spat blood at Jack who was squatting in front of him. Jack wiped the blood from his eyes. “ _Joder_! This is prada!” Jack stood up and motioned for the other man in the room to step forward. 

_CRACK_

Another one of the prisoner’s fingers was broken as Jack’s lackey bent his finger back. This was the second finger to go. Both the man’s kneecaps had bullets in them and the lacerations from days past were covered in old blood, now congealed and brown. This guy was really holding up, Jack was kinda impressed. It may just be that this Torgue guy just didn't know anything. Torgue had been trying to muscle in on _his_ territory for weeks and suddenly when his latest shipment of the latest party drug, eridium, went missing from his warehouse, Jack was fucking pissed. The guys that were supposed to be guarding it _mysteriously_ disappeared along with the drugs. Now, Jack had to get his hands and his designer clothes dirty in order to find the fucks who stole from him. 

“Once more, _princesa_ , where are my _**drugs**_?” Jack backhanded the prisoner across the face. The _fucker_ had the audacity to laugh after he spat out a broken tooth. 

Jack stood up, hands up in surrender, “ _Gómez, encárgate de esto, tengo una cita_.” 

Jack turned on his heel, the screams of the tortured man filling his ears. He got out his phone and texted his assistant:

_BOSS: get a new shirt in the car when i get back pls and sort out the 1 i’m wearing for dry cleaning thank_  
PA NEW NUMBER USE THIS: Right away, sir. Any preference?  
BOSS: a sexy one pls ;) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ this is actually the plot guys! I wanted to keep it a secret... 
> 
> any questions about the AU, leave a comment or hmu on tumblr: therhackoning


	6. CEOs make for Comfy Pillows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys invites Jack over for a lil R&R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *raises from the dead* so hey guys look an actual chapter of something Rhack! a bloody miracle i know but lol have this again kinda short but i'm trying to get back into the swing of things again with these two to finish it off

Rhys was procrastinating getting ready. He knew that Jack was going to arrive at his apartment soon for their second date but Rhys couldn’t bring himself to do _anything_. This new job that MacKay was getting him to do was allowing him less and less sleep. 

 

It had been a few weeks since Rhys had seen Jack in person. The young man shuddered at the memory of being bent over Jack’s desk. Jack had seen weirdly distant in the last couple of weeks, rebuffing Rhys’s attempts to see the man earlier. Rhys didn’t give up hope, Jack and him spoke daily and had frequent phone calls. These calls often ended rather… _messily_ but Rhys didn’t mind. Knowing that the CEO of Hyperion was willing to take time out his day to message a lowly programmer from _another company_ made Rhys’s heart flutter. He was falling _fast_. 

 

Deciding to drag himself out of bed, Rhys made his way into the kitchen to discover a severe lack of food. Thanking any deity that was willing to listen for the fact that he had extra money from all that overtime, Rhys brought out his phone and ordered Chinese food. Not knowing what Jack would like, Rhys got a set menu for two and hoped that Jack would like something. 

 

Rhys plopped down on the sofa after ordering the food and read through his social media. Nothing had really happened, as per usual. He was surprised that the press hadn’t caught on to his relationship with ‘ _the most eligible bachelor in the world_ ’. He was thankful for it, truthfully. He didn’t know how he would deal with the fame. Slowly, Rhys felt his eyes getting heavier. Soon, he was asleep with his mouth open, drooling onto the material.

* * *

Jack’s driver pulled up in front of Rhys’s apartment building a little after six. The shirt that he was wearing earlier that day was sitting in the footwell, the blood now a mass of brown stains marring the designer material. His new shirt was as crisp and white as his old one, albeit slightly tighter. He needed to look good for tonight. 

 

Looking at the text from Rhys earlier, Jack smirked. 

 

_Rhysie <3: Hey, do you fancy coming round tonight? I finally don’t have any overtime so I just want a quiet night in  
HJ: ok sure, see u at 6 cupcake <3_

 

Jack knew what this was about. He’d heard the lingo. He knew what _ECHOflix and chill_ meant. He wasn’t _that_ old damn it. Jack rubbed his hands together and got out of the car. The day had started to turn cold. The smell of night hit his nostrils and Jack had to refrain from lighting a cigarette. Rhys still didn’t know about the habit, and Jack wasn’t going to let the young man know everything yet. He may have his own ECHOpedia page but he still wanted to keep some things private.   
Jack rang the buzzer for Rhys’s flat and was surprised when he was let straight in. No one said anything on the intercom so he just walked into the building. Jack felt mildly scorned that he was denied the option of making a lewd comment but he accepted his fate and walked up the stairs. 

 

Jack arrived outside the door to Rhys’s and knocked three times. He slicked his hair back with one hand and was debating whether or not to lean against the door frame when the door opened to Rhys standing with about twenty dollars in his hand and a confused look on his face. 

 

“Now, kitten, I know you’re afraid of losing me, but you don’t need to pay me to stay.” 

 

Rhys flushed a deep crimson as he realised what he was wearing: an Atlas jumper that he was given when he first joined the company, now covered in stains of unknown origins, some old shorts that never saw the light of day, and starry socks that came up to his thighs. Rhys also hadn’t done his hair so it was sitting flat against his head and had fly-aways everywhere. 

 

Jack had never seen anything more gorgeous in his life. 

 

“I- I thought you were the delivery guy…” 

 

“Wait, so you invited me here and you aren’t planning on making me dinner?” Jack snapped out of his daze to question his arrangements for the evening. 

 

“Unless you want food poisoning, I would suggest you never touch anything I cook with a ten foot pole.” Rhys let out an embarrassed laugh and ran his hand through his hair. When he did this, a small piece of his stomach was exposed and Jack couldn’t help but fixate on the milky white skin that he could see. Rhys took a step back and gestured for Jack to enter. Jack walked past him and took in his accommodation for the evening. 

 

Rhys’s place wasn’t exactly the _fanciest_ of apartments. It was rather modest, with a small TV, what looked like an ancient leather couch, a small kitchen separated from the front room by a breakfast bar. Jack had vague memories of where Rhys’s bedroom was in comparison to everything else but, truth be told, he was still drunk when he gave Rhys his number so actually getting a text from him was a surprise itself. 

 

Jack could tell that Rhys was embarrassed. Probably a combination of the fact that he tried to pay Jack for some non-existent food and because the guy he was dating was the CEO of a fortune 500 company and was therefore probably not used to such humble living conditions. Jack honestly couldn’t care less and walked into the apartment like he owned it and sat down on the sofa. 

 

“I hope you like Chinese food. It’s the best balance of cheap and good we have near here that delivers for free.” 

 

“Honey, I like anything you like, promise.” 

 

Jack patted the sofa next to him to try and encourage Rhys to come and sit down instead of awkwardly standing in the middle of his own apartment. Rhys’s cheeks had a slight dusting of blush to them after he realised what he was doing and went to sit down next to Jack. 

 

The pair sat in silence, Rhys sitting ramrod straight on the sofa and Jack scrolling through his phone. When the buzzer went, Rhys practically threw himself at the door, almost falling over in the process. Rhys paid the delivery guy and set all the food out on the table. 

 

“Rhysie, were you trying to feed a small army with this?” 

 

Rhys had already cracked out the complimentary chopsticks and had chow mein halfway to his mouth. All he could respond with was a simple shrug and proceeded to shove the food into his mouth. Jack couldn’t help but laugh and chose some dumplings to start digging into. Rhys reached over Jack to get the TV remote and cherished in the fact that Jack didn’t move away, allowing several points of contact. Rhys sat back with a smile on his face and turned on the TV, putting on a movie channel in hopes for something terrible to watch. One of the worst horror movies Rhys had ever seen was on. _Perfect_. Rhys looked over to Jack to gauge his reaction but saw no objections so he crossed his legs and got to eating. 

 

When the pair had finished, Jack raised his arm motioned for Rhys to sit closer to him. Rhys sheepishly scooted along the sofa. Rhys curled into Jack’s side and Jack pulled Rhys as close to him as possible. Rhys was strangely comfortable even laying at this weird angle. The film was coming to it’s climax, with someone being drowned in a barrel for some reason. Rhys shifted slightly to better watch the film and he felt Jack’s fingers start to card through his hair. Rhys let out a sigh of contentment and let himself melt into Jack’s side. 

 

Before Jack really realised what was going on, Rhys was asleep in his arms, breathing gently and evenly against his side. Jack looked down at the man curled into his arms and smiled. They may not have done anything particularly spectacular this evening but it was the best night of his life so far. Jack could see his phone, which was now on the coffee table, light up as he got a call. He didn’t move to answer it even though he saw that it was one of his lieutenants. 

 

“ _Mierda_...” He was in deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've changed my url again so hmu @ivemcfallenandican'tgetup 
> 
> i haven't been writing as much recently but trust me i've been trying to get this shit finished asap
> 
> <3 you guys as always, keep on keeping on


	7. Creepy Bosses Make For New Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets told off and Rhys finds out something interesting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT EVEN AM I??? I need to actually do normal adult things rather than this... 
> 
> Thanks to the wonderful Erin (@erinchu) for the beta and thanks to university for making me procrastinate

“What the actual fuck, Jack?” 

Not many people could talk to Jack this way. The majority of them would end up very… un-alive by the end of the sentence. Timothy, on the other hand, had an unfair advantage in this. Unfortunate, really, seeing as Jack _really_ wanted to murder someone today. 

“I’m here, aren’t I? _Díos Mio…_ ” Jack was cranky and not in the mood for a lecture from his kid brother. Jack and Tim may look terrifyingly alike, but they are not twins, despite what the tabloids liked to say. Tim was two years Jack’s younger but somehow they look identical. 

Timothy ran his hands through his hair and continued pacing in front of Jack’s desk. Jack just watched him and lit a cigarette. “Dad left you the fucking company, you should be the one to run it!” Tim slammed his hands on the desk, Jack simply took a drag from his cigarette and looked directly into Tim’s eyes. It was the around about the tenth time in two months that Jack had been absent at the office due to Rhys. Tim was on his last straw, Jack simply didn’t care. Everything was still going according to plan, why would he have to care about pitiful things like business when he had good old Tim-Tams to run everything for him?

“Mom never trusted you with the other side of the company though. Everyone knows I’m better suited for this kinda stuff over you.” 

“I’ll leave you to the… more _unsavory_ aspects of the company if you stop meddling with the legit side of things!” 

“Oh kiddo, you know I can’t let you do that. Dad left _me_ the company after all…” Jack smiled around his cigarette, much to Tim’s chagrin. 

Tim pushed away from the table and sighed. He looked as if he had something else to say but gave up, knowing that arguing with Jack was insanity. He made his way out of the room, flipping Jack off as he left, “Fuck you.” 

“Love you too!” Jack shouted after him. He turned to his computer and looked over the emails he had missed whilst Rhys was at his last night. It was dumb thing like charities asking for money, people who needed an interview because Hyperion had released a new technology recently, and other boring things like memos from meetings he was _probably_ supposed to attend. Jack just left them for his PA to sort through and looked at his phone to check the really important stuff. 

He had one text from Rhys and one email from an unknown address. Although not an uncommon thing, for some unknown reason Jack was drawn to this email. He decided to open this first and deal with Rhys later. 

_Strange_ , Jack thought, _no subject…_ Jack opened the message and read:

_Torgue are making a move. They have a plan to get to you. Still not sure how. Know that it’s gonna be at the charity ball._

Jack stared at his phone and reread the email several times. It was from a mole in a rival smaller gang but this was ballsy even for a madman like the leader of Torgue. Jack smirked, he always did enjoy a challenge.

* * *

Rhys smiled when he heard his phone buzz. Him and Jack had been seeing each other for about two months at this point and honestly he had never been happier. The two just seemed to _click_ on a level that he had never experienced before. They managed to have deep talks without it ever being awkward and the sex… well that was another beast entirely. 

_Rhysie: Miss you <3_  
Jack <3: miss u 2 cupcake  
Jack <3: wat r u doin on may 1st?? 

Rhys recoiled from his phone. MacKay had told him he was required to do something on that night. He had a meeting with him later today, maybe he could weasel his way out of it…

_Rhysie: My boss had said he wanted me for something that night but I may be able to get free. What’s up?”_  
Jack <3: gd bc i need u 2 b arm candy at the hyperion masquerade ball   
Rhysie: I’ll see what I can do xx 

Rhys looked at the clock on his phone, His meeting with MacKay was in ten minutes so he decided to start making his way over to his office, contemplating that last conversation. Jack was willing to let the world see the two of them together. Up until now, Jack had been very secretive of their relationship, hiding from paparazzi and favouring spending time at Rhys’s rather than his own. This was a big step and Rhys knew it. The Hyperion Masquerade Ball was _the_ social event of the year so the world would be watching. Rhys could feel a warm feeling spread throughout him. This was possibly the most committed to someone he had ever been in his life, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it. 

When Rhys reached MacKay’s office, he was waved immediately in. MacKay was sitting at his desk, with someone lying unnervingly still in front of it. 

“Rhys! Take a seat, we have a lot to discuss.”  
Rhys made no motion to move towards the desk and decided to stay slightly closer to the door, “Is… is he ok?” 

MacKay dismissed this with his hands, showing Rhys that he was wearing purple latex gloves. “Pay him no mind. Now, take a seat, like i _asked_ you to.” 

Rhys felt a chill run down his spine at MacKay’s tone of voice. He sat in the only other chair in the room and tried to pay no mind to the person laying on the floor. 

“So, I suppose that I should tell you what I’ve been asking you to do the last few months. It’s more than just basic data mining, you know. It’s something that is _essential_ to my well being.” Rhys couldn’t hide his confused expression from this but stayed quiet. 

“You, my friend, have been stealing secrets from rival gangs so that we can grow in power.” MacKay leaned forward and steepled his fingers. Rhys could see the dark red stains on his gloves now. 

“Wait… _rival_ gangs?” 

“Yep! Rivals to the gang that you are a part of and I want _you_ to be my right hand man.” 

Rhys was taken aback. He never saw himself being an unwilling part of criminal activity. Willing, maybe, but never anything this underhand. 

“Do I get paid more?” Rhys leaned forward, all thoughts of the probably dead body at his feet now thrown out of the window at the promise of earning more. MacKay seemed to be shocked by this but shock soon turned into a smile. 

“Of course. A commission from every heist you help orchestrate. I’m never going to ask you to be in the field, only ever behind a computer screen. You’ll be moved into your own office up here so no one can see what you’re really doing. So? You still in? Well, if you’re not then I’m going to have to kill you.” During this, MacKay removed the gloves and stood up, holding his hand out to Rhys. 

Rhys didn’t even hesitate. Money was money and that’s what matters most in this dog eat dog world. He took MacKay’s hand and the two men shook on it. 

“Oh. Can I have May 1st off?” Rhys suddenly remembered his promise to Jack. 

“Anything for my new right hand man.” 

Rhys smiled and turned on his heel to leave. He pulled out his phone to text Jack the good news about the ball. Everything was coming up Rhys today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come find me @ivemcfallenandicantgetup
> 
> seriously i am not an actual adult i need to do other things apart from write but here i am


	8. Rushed Beginnings Make for Interesting Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Rhys get ready for the ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i am not dead holy butts i am so sorry have a chapter. Its short but the next and, sadly final, two are gonna be longer ones i promise

Jack was pacing his office again. It was something he found himself doing more often in recent months. There was a lot to be thinking about nowadays; he had his company, both the above board dealings and the more _unsavoury_ parts. He had an actual relationship that he actually cared about for the first time in years. Life was stressful and Jack was weirdly enjoying it. 

Rhys had been distant through the past few months, but Jack had chalked it up to commitment anxiety. If Rhys had never been in a relationship really before, it would be understandable that he would be nervous about contacting and spending time with Jack. They had the ball to think of, and that’s all that matters. Jack could _finally_ show off his young prize to the world and _finally_ make them feel the jealousy that they should all feel. Rhys was _his_ —and he wants the world to see. 

The business, however, was another story. Jack had built Hyperion from the ground up, both sides of it, with the help of his twin brother. When his divorce was getting messy and Angel was pitted against both parents, Tim was always there for him. So, when Tim found our about all the illegal activities Jack was doing, Jack was afraid he would run. Thankfully, Tim stayed and helped, something Jack still couldn't believe up until this day. 

Trying not to let the past eat him up, Jack focused on the present. That was the third time in a month that either a weapons sale or a drug deal had been interrupted by a new rival gang that he hadn’t heard of before. They always seemed to be two steps in front of him no matter _what_ he planned on doing. It was frustrating to say the least. 

The rest of the day came and went, and Jack did what all CEOs did: shout at some people, fill in some paperwork, and _permanently_ fire some people. Then the time came to get ready for the ball that evening. _This evening is gonna be mine_ , Jack thought as he left the office, _and nothing's gonna stand in my way_.

* * *

Rhys was panicking as usual. He was a whirlwind through his apartment, throwing shirts and socks in all directions. Vaughn, on the other hand, was just sitting on the couch, watching all of this unfold with a smirk on his face. On the one hand, he wanted to help, but on the other hand, it was funny to watch his best friend suffer. 

It was Rhys’s day off and honestly, when he woke up he forgot what this day actually was. He was simply looking forward to getting some pizza for lunch, wasting the day away playing some video games, and having a well deserved nap. So, when he was rudely awoken from said nap to the apartment door being knocked on, he wasn’t best pleased. When he opened the door he found a small gold package there with only a ‘J’ monogrammed on the corner.  
Inside was a black bow tie and a golden mask. _Fuck, that’s today! How could I forget!?_. Rhys looked over the gift, sparing a small moment over the logistics of how the parcel got into the building, and then started to go into a frenzy. It had been 3 hours since then, and Rhys was still running around in boxers. 

The ball was at nine that evening—the clocked showed that it was seven. Rhys had no idea when a car going to arrive for him so he needed to be ready ASAP. Vaughn was of no help whatsoever and his hair was still a total mess after he left it air dry after his shower. Then, the worst happened. 

_The buzzer rang_. 

Rhys stared wide-eyed at Vaughn, he was a rabbit in the headlights and he didn’t know what to do. Vaughn gave a shrug and started to walk over to the buzzer to let the person in. Rhys all but lunged at him to prevent him from getting there. The two tumbled to the floor in a mess of limbs, fighting for dominance over each other. 

“Don’t you fucking dare open that door.” 

“Rhys, I need to. Someone is waiting!” 

“It’s Jack and I am not ready at _all_!” Vaughn’s ears started to ring at the shrill tone of Rhys’s protest. 

“Maybe this will give you some incentive to actually make a choice!” 

Rhys rushed up from his position on the floor and sprinted to his bedroom. Vaughn dusted himself off and walked over to the buzzer, “Hello?” 

“This is the car for Mr. Rhys Somerset.” 

Vaughn coughed and looked over to Rhys’s room to see him floundering with the bow tie that Jack had sent for him. At least he was fully dressed now, with the mask on the back of his head as he fought a losing battle with the fabric in his hands. 

“Yes. Of course. The car. That car that Jack sent. That car that Jack sent for Rhys. The car that Jack sent for Rhys so that he could go to the event. That very important event…” Vaughn kept talking into the com as he saw Rhys finishing tying up his shoes. “Okay! He’s coming down now!” With that, Vaughn slammed the phone down and ushered Rhys out. 

“Bro, I want you to do everything I wouldn’t do this evening.” 

“Bro, of course I will.” 

With a smile, Rhys and Vaughn fist bumped, and Rhys left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu on tumblr: ivemcfallenandicantgetup 
> 
> comments are always appreciated XD


	9. Strange Parties cause Stranger Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys and Jack finally make their relationship public.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo so this is unbetad bc i was so excited to get it out bc holy butts its been a while . You may also notice that next chapter is gonna be the last and its sad but true. this has been a great fic and thank you all for being patient with me!

If one thing in this world is true, it’s that Jack Lawrence sure knew how to throw a party. He had lots of money, more than enough to live a lavish lifestyle and still have some left over after. This was the life that he had bled for and bled people for and he wasn’t going to give it up for anyone. 

Jack looked over the function from the balcony that ran around the halfway point of the walls. When he had this house built, he specifically wanted a ballroom so that he could throw lavish parties and live like a king. His mask was adorned with real peacock feathers, perfect for strutting around the party. It also meant that people could tell him and Timothy apart. Despite Jack’s constant insistence that the two of them look nothing alike, the tabloids always seem to want to spin their own story. Timothy was wearing an understated plain black mask with Hyperion-yellow piping around the edge. There was no way there was going to be a mix up of who was who this evening. _And_ Jack thought to himself, smug smile starting to form on his lips, _I’m gonna have the prettiest piece of arm candy this room will ever see_. Jack kept his predatory eyes glancing over the room, keeping an eye out for a very specific person. 

Suddenly he felt his heart stop. Not in a painful way, but in the way films like to portray true love. Like the world just stops because the person you know is the one is suddenly standing there, not doing anything in particular, but to you they’re your entire world. 

Rhys walked in and was just standing there, holding one arm across his body to clutch the other. His mask was slightly askew and he had one strand of hair that was refusing to cooperate with the rest of his hair. He was _perfect_. 

Jack didn’t even excuse himself from the conversation that he was in and immediately made his way over to Rhys. When he reached the slightly taller man, Jack immediately pulled him into a kiss. He needed the entire party to know that this man was _his_ . Rhys blushed when they pulled away and Jack just smiled. Jack had something devious up his sleeve for this evening, and Rhys had no idea. 

The two men stood for a while, just holding each other by the waist and just looking into each other’s eyes until Rhys pointed out that the men should probably actually socialise instead of just standing there. So, Jack offered his arm and the two men started to make their way around the party, chatting here, networking there, and genuinely enjoying themselves. 

After a while of this, Jack decided that the pair needed to have a dance. Rhys was very reluctant at first, but Jack’s persistence finally prevailed and got Rhys to move onto the dance floor. 

Rhys knew that he wasn’t the best dancer. The small amounts of alcohol that were coursing through his system along with the fact he hadn’t eaten all day added to a slight level of tipsiness that he wasn’t the most sober person in the room, but he definitely wasn’t drunkest. This with his general lankiness meant that dancing was a hard task for Rhys just now. Jack, however, was still sipping on the same champagne flute that he got at the start of the evening. He remembered what had happened last time he was super drunk around Rhys and decided that he didn’t want to replicate their first meeting. 

Jack slipped his hand around Rhys’s waist and allowed the taller man to lean into him. It was soft, slow, sweet, and everything that Jack and Rhys could ever want. Jack was waiting for the right moment. He had told the DJ to play a very specific song at a certain time in the evening. It was something that the two men held dear to their heart. It was the song that Jack decided to sing at the top of his lungs with Yvette and Vaughn. That was when the time would be right. 

Rhys was just smiling like an idiot, enjoying being this close to Jack. Enjoying people knowing that he and Jack were together. Suddenly, Jack pulled away and dropped to one knee. Rhys was confused at first, not understanding why Jack had pulled away, but accepted it in his alcohol addled mind. 

“Rhys Somerset, will you do the honour of marrying me?” With that, Jack brought out a small black box and opened it, revealing a simple but elegant ring with a sizable yellow diamond standing tall in the centre. Rhys stood, still confused, and burst into laughter. 

Jack was still on one knee, looking up at a giggling Rhys and all he could feel was the anxiety rising up within him. Rhys suddenly stopped and his expression changed.

“Wait, you’re serious?” 

“Of course I am! Why would I be down on one knee and holding a ring ya doofus!” 

“Oh shit… Oh _shit_!” Rhys felt tears start to well up in his eyes. He just thrust his left hand towards Jack and just smiled at him whilst the best tears of his life rolled down his face. 

_**CRASH!** _

The whole room suddenly broke. People were running and screaming. Gunshots tore through the noise as someone fired up at the ceiling, trying to get the crowd to thin enough so that people could walk in. 

Jack immediately put the ring away and covered Rhys with his body. The people who had barged in were dressed all in black, with ballistic masks over their faces, which prevented any identification. Jack tried to reach for the gun that he usually kept in a hidden holster but remembered that he didn’t put it on. He wanted tonight to be special and he didn’t want to freak out Rhys if he felt it through his clothes. Instead, he reached for the knife that he kept in its sheath by his ankle and wielded it protectively.   
One of the masked assailants suddenly looked at Jack and signalled for the others to follow. They held their rifles low, as if to remind them of the threat but let them know that they didn’t want to actually hurt someone. Their fingers were off the triggers, _just_. Jack kept one hand on Rhys, keeping him low, and kept the other gripped firmly around the knife. It wasn’t much, but it made him feel a lot better about the situation he was in currently. 

The one thing Jack didn’t notice was that someone was behind him, quietly walking towards him. 

_Thwack_. 

Jack’s world started to go dark after he was struck round the head with the butt of someone’s rifle. The last things he saw was Rhys being dragged off and a ‘Tourge’ logo on one of the attackers guns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo yo yo hmu: ivemcfallenandicantgetup 
> 
> anything is appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone want more of this? Kinda wanna write more tbh. Expect to see anew AU soon too possibly!
> 
> Come talk to me: therhackoning


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